The Royal Mission
by Robert Teague
Summary: The Mirta Chronicles Book VI. A disaster on Linphea reveals a long-hidden secret that will change the destiny of an entire people, and Mirta is caught in the middle.
1. Chapter 1

The Royal Mission

by Robert Teague

This story was written for the entertainment of Winx Club fans, and no copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This is The Mirta Chronicles Book VI, and takes place after _Convergence_. Mirta has graduated from Alfea and is now full time as Flora's assistant on Linphea, along with her best friend Lucy.

Chapter One

It was late in the morning, and Flora, Guardian Fairy of Linphea, was in her office in the Guardian Building. She was reviewing a report on the field of maab beans high in the mountains of the Xos Range. Everything appeared to be fine with them.

Just then her secretary Mari came in, and Flora smiled. "What's up?"

"We just got a request from Princess Krystal for you to come to the City of Trees and see her," said Mari, handing her a piece of paper.

"Oh? What does she need?" asked Flora, reading it. "Let's see... A flower called Dragonsnaps?" she thought for a minute. "I... don't think I've ever heard of them. SnapDRAGONS of course..."

"I looked them up," said Mari, "They aren't native to Linphea, but that is as much as I could find. Do you want me to get the leaf ready?" Technology was forbidden in the City, so there was no transfer station. A transport leaf was the best way to travel.

"Please," nodded Flora, "I'll go in a few minutes."

As Mari left, Mirta, accompanied by Lucy, came in.

"What's going on, Sis?" asked Mirta.

"There's an imported flower called the dragonsnap that is dying, and nobody seems to know why. Princess Krystal wants to see me about it," was Flora's reply.

"Ooohh... going to see royalty... aren't we so high and mighty?" said Lucy with a smirk.

Flora gave her own smirk and said, "Why, yes, we are! Thanks for noticing!" She handed the witch the paper.

All three girls laughed. As time had passed and Flora got to know the Witch, she understood Lucy's sense of humor, and had learned to dish it right back.

"What does this flower do?" asked Mirta, looking around Lucy's arm. She was too short to look over her friend's shoulder.

"No idea; Mari says there's nothing in any database, or the Realm Wide Web in general. Strange... I think I would have heard of it before..."

"Even you can't know every plant, Flora," said Lucy, putting down the paper. "You'd never heard of maab beans, and they DO grow here."

"That's true, but if it's useful... oh, well." She stood up. "I'll go see her now."

"Want us to come with?" asked Mirta.

"Well... Lucy, don't you two have an appointment in Greenrock today?" asked Flora.

"Yes," the Witch nodded, "We'll be leaving shortly so we'll have all day to fix the problem."

"Okay, then," said the Flower Fairy, "See you both later."

wc/s wc/s wc/s

The trip to the City of Trees took half an hour. It would have been shorter, but the leaf had to fly near the treetops and at a lower speed to avoid problems with the powerful and turbulent winds in the area. When she landed, Princess Krystal herself was waiting.

The beautiful lavender-haired princess was warm and friendly, and respectful of Flora's station. She had the same leaf-green eyes as Flora. While at Alfea, Flora had found out Helia knew her personally.

"Greetings, Highness," said Flora, bowing.

"Greetings, Guardian," replied Krystal, bowing only slightly less.

The formalities over (Linphea being very informal), Krystal smiled. "It's nice to finally meet you, Flora. How is Helia?"

"I heard from him yesterday. He's doing well in the advanced classes at Red Fountain, but he's not really happy about it."

"Yes, his pacifist and artistic nature," nodded Crystal. "I've often wondered why he would go to a military school."

"He told me once that he thought it was important to have experiences directly opposite his personality as a way of rounding himself out," replied Flora.

"I see! That sounds just like him," she giggled. "Have you two set a date yet?"

"Tentatively on the Winter Solstice," Flora replied. That date was important to Linpheans, and one of good omen.

"I hope I'm on the guest list," Krystal joked.

"Of course! How may I help today?" asked Flora.

Krystal turned and gestured at an attendant, who came over holding a clay pot with a flower planted within. The flower was a light yellow color, the weight of the petals bending the flower over. The leaves were broad and flat. Flora stared at it. She could feel its suffering.

"I brought one of the healthier flowers, but all of them are dying," explained the Linphean Princess, "And we don't know why."

"I see," said Flora, taking the pot, "I've never heard of dragonsnaps before."

"Their scent can bolster the stamina of people who are sick or injured, and helps them recover much earlier. The therapy is still experimental, but seems to be a great success," said Krystal, "It could be very useful in hospitals all over the Magical Universe, but not if the plants won't survive. We have to know why it's dying, and the royal science guild is at a loss."

Flora knelt and put the pot down in front of her. She gently cupped the flower and closed her eyes. The plant had an odd texture; it felt almost like skin.

She probed gently at the flower's consciousness, but it was too preoccupied with its misery to notice. She tried a little harder, but it ignored her.

Flora looked up at the waiting princess. "I'm having trouble getting its attention," she reported.

Krystal nodded. "Others who have tried said the same thing. I was hoping someone as strong as you could succeed."

She returned attention to the flower, and probed much harder. At first it resisted, then gave up and opened itself to her.

This particular flower had been grown on Linphea in soil from its ancestor's planet. The water and nutrients it had been given were fine, but there was something missing, something vital to its existence. Its generation had used up the last of that something, and without it would die.

The fairy withdrew and looked at Krystal, who was now sitting in a wooden chair. "I think I'm close to finding the answer," she reported.

"Very good!" said the Princess, "Have some refreshment before you go back in." An attendent handed both a tall cold glass with a shimmering pale green liquid.

Flora drank it down in one go. "Wow, I didn't realize I was that thirsty!" She gave back the glass, and returned attention to the flower.

"Tell me what's missing," said Flora, unaware she had spoken out loud.

The dragonsnap didn't know.

Flora asked it for, and got, permission to delve deep and look for the answer.

Her consciousness moved past the dragonsnap's, down into its roots, and out into the surrounding soil. She could feel the roots questing for the missing something, but not having any luck.

Wait... it wasn't something in the soil... it was something that used the soil as a medium to get to the plants! An energy! There was a particular kind of energy missing! But what? Obviously something from its native world.

She waited, feeling the roots as they took in nutrients and the leaves as they caught the sun's light. The plant enjoyed it, but it wasn't enough.

Flora got a sudden, quick glimpse of a crystal. It was milky-white, with a bluish tinge, and glowed softly in the dark. That was it! That was what was missing, the energy from those crystals! She had it! Thanking the dragonsnap, she withdrew.

"I have the answer, highness," said Flora, "There is energy from a crystal missing. I got a glimpse of it, but have never seen one like it before."

"Wonderful!" said Krystal, standing up. An attendant took Flora's hand and helped her stand as well. "You give me hope! Do you think you could identify it, and perhaps find out what's needed to fix the problem?"

"I can try, highness," said flora.

"Then I charge your office with that task," said Krystal, "Whatever resources you need will be available."

"Yes, highness," said Flora, bowing, "I will try not to disappoint you. May I take the flower with me?"

"Of course. Thank you, Flora. This is important to Linphea, and the rest of the Magical Dimension." She gestured at another attendant, who gave Flora a paper file in a binder.

Back at the Guardian Building, she put the flower on the table where it would get sunlight. Lucy and Mirta weren't back yet, so she used the time to read the papers. It was research on the dragonsnap and its home world. Nowhere was any white crystal mentioned. She did learn that bringing the flower to Linphea was the first time they had been removed from their natural environment.

Mari came into the office. "Flora, I've heard from Mirta. She and Lucy will be staying in Greenrock overnight. It looks like the problem is worse than was reported."

The Guardian Fairy briefly considered going there herself, but decided not to. They were competent and she trusted them. They would call if they thought she was needed.

"Thank you," she replied, "I think I'll head home then. Good evening." She stood up and headed for the door.

"Good night, Flora," the blond secretary said.

Not long after falling asleep Flora was awakened by her phone.

"H'lo?" she said, sleepily.

"Flora, it's Lucy. We need you here," she heard.

"What's wrong?" she asked, wide awake and sitting up.

"An earthquake has exposed strong radioactive ore. People have already died," explained the Witch.

"On my way," she replied, now awake. "Give me twenty minutes."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Earlier, the Witch and Fairy who were best friends said goodbye to the Guardian Fairy, and got ready for their own mission.

"So, you ready?" the green-haired Witch asked.

"Yep, let's go!" was the red-headed Fairy's reply.

The transfer pads operated by Mari took them a quarter of the way around Linphea, and much farther north, to a small settlement called Greenrock.

It was well-named, as the surrounding mountains were made predominantly of a dark green stone. The town itself was fairly small, six hundred or so residents clustered together in the valley whose long winters made personal contact valuable. It was surrounded by large farms run by different families.

There was no one in the transfer room to meet them, so they went out through the only door to find themselves in a general store made of wood. It was old, but sturdy and well-kept. A white-haired man behind the counter spotted them.

"Oh, welcome to Greenrock!" he said, "You're from the Guardian Fairy's Office?" He stepped over to them.

"Yes, sir," said the redheaded half-Witch, "I'm Mirta, and this is Lucy."

"My name's Macawl; I'm the town clerk, and run this store," he replied.

"Nice to meet you, sir," said Mirta.

"So, the report said something about crops dying?" asked Lucy.

"I haven't seen it myself, but that's what farmers have reported," he replied. He turned and pointed toward a mountain just barely tall enough to qualify for the label. "At the foot of that mountain is the farm of Konak Tuf; he can show you. Just follow the road."

"Thank you, sir," said Mirta, and transformed. She flew off in that direction, Lucy close behind her. They followed the unpaved road through the hardy trees and brush as it closely followed the curve of the land.

They flew over a wide shallow river that flowed swiftly along and abruptly narrowed and deepened off to their right. It fell in a short waterfall and meandered away to the southeast.

"Pretty area," Mirta commented.

"Yeah, but look up ahead," pointed Lucy.

The edge of a farm lay ahead, and while most of the crops were green, near the foot of a hill they became sickly and closer to it, had died.

They hovered in place, staring at the strange sight.

"What could cause something like that?" asked Lucy.

"The hill is blocking the sun?" ventured Mirta.

The Witch glanced in the direction of the sun. "No... it's south of the crops. During growing season the shadow wouldn't matter."

"Oh, yeah, I see... Well, then, I'm at a loss," shrugged the Fairy. "Let's go find the owner."

Lucy didn't answer; she was thinking. Something about this rang a bell.

Gaining some altitude they spotted a house and flew to it. It was a one story structure that spread out, having been randomly added to over the years. Nobody was outside.

Mirta stayed in Enchantix form as she knocked; it would help identify her quickly. Lucy hung back just a bit, as was her normal position. For the most part, Linpheans were friendly, but Witches were rare visitors with generally poor reputations, and Lucy had taken it on herself to improve it.

The door was opened by a woman in her forties with aqua hair and pale green skin. Her eyes were blue and she wore glasses. She was wearing practical clothing and work boots. It was a farm, after all.

"Hi! I'm Mirta, and this is Lucy. We're from the Guardian Fairy's office," said the redheaded half-Witch.

"Oh, I am glad to see you! I'm Akia Tuf. Come in! My husband is sick," she said.

"Sorry to hear that," answered Mirta. She started to step over the threshold when Akia frowned and stepped outside. She looked around the yard.

"Something wrong?" asked Lucy. She looked around as well.

"Yes," answered Akia, "There should be farmhands out here. I'd better go check the bunkroom."

"We'll come with you," said Mirta.

They followed the woman to the bunkhouse, where they found twelve people, eight women and four men, sick in bed. All were semi-conscious, and sweating. They all appeared to have sunburn.

Ms. Tuf went around to each of them, checking their condition. All had the same symptoms.

Lucy paled. "Oh, stars, I think I know what this is."

Everyone who could looked at the Witch.

"I need to know more to be sure," she added. "When did this start?"

"I don't know. Everyone was fine last night, I think," said the woman.

"No," gasped one of the farmhands, "We started feeling bad a few days ago."

"Is this going on anywhere else?" asked Lucy, looking at the man. His appearance added evidence to a possibility she really didn't want to consider.

"Yeah, all three neighboring farms have people sick," said another worker, a woman.

"Okay... did anything major happen, or something change just before it started?" the tall green-haired woman asked, thoughtfully.

There was silence for a few moments.

"Yes!" said the female farmhand, sitting up a bit, "There was that minor earthquake!" Murmurs of agreement greeted the statement. "It didn't do much damage," she added before laying back down. The minor effort had tired her out.

"My husband told me Fatak Hill had a rockslide," said Akia.

"Yes, we all saw it," said a farmhand, "It destroyed the far end of the field, remember. Covered it in rock. We tried to move it, but it was too much."

"You were all there?" asked the Witch.

"Yes, and some of the neighbors," said the hand.

"That's it, then," said Lucy, "C'mon, Mirta, we need to check out the hill."

WC/WC/WC

"What do you think it is?" Mirta called to Lucy as they flew toward the hill they had passed.

"I'd rather not say until I know for sure," she replied.

Mirta gave her friend a skeptical look.

"Hey, a little scare is fun, but this is not the time. People's lives are at stake," Lucy protested. "Trust me on this, it's not the time for a false alarm."

"There's the rockslide," pointed out Mirta as they approached the small mountain.

"Okay, hang on a sec..." Lucy muttered some words and moved her hands in a way that Mirta recognized as setting up a magic shield. A moment later a transparent, pale green bubble formed around them.

Together they flew to the place where the rock had fallen. As they did, sparks of bright yellow started pinging off of the shield.

"What is that?" asked Mirta.

"Just what I was afraid of; radiation," answered Lucy.

Mirta gasped. "So all those people have radiation poisoning?"

"Yes," nodded the Witch, "And judging by the number of sparks, the earthquake exposed a high-concentrate ore."

"Stars..." breathed the half-Witch.

"Let's get back to the farm," said Lucy, "We need to get the local doctors in, and call Flora."

WC/WC/WC

When they landed in the yard, they found Akia Tuf waiting for them. She was crying. "My husband has gotten sicker!" she wailed. A teenage girl stood by her, holding her and crying as well.

"I'm sorry," said Mirta. Lucy said nothing, but her expression softened.

Just then a young boy ran from the bunk house. "MOM! Kat, Mack, and Sivvers are dead!"

The woman wailed louder.

"Has anyone called the doctor?" asked Mirta.

"Yes, but she's busy on other farms right now," said the boy.

Lucy pulled out her phone and hit speed dial. "Flora, it's Lucy. We need you here." Pause. "An earthquake has exposed strong radioactive ore. People have already died."

She closed the phone with a snap. "She'll be here in twenty minutes."

"What can we do?" asked Mirta.

Lucy considered for a long minute. "We'll have to evacuate this whole area."

"A- abandon the farm?" Ms. Tuf sniffed. "For how long?"

"Probably forever," answered the Witch, "That ore is strong, and will be pouring out radiation for millions of years to come." She turned and set up the detection spell again. The yellow sparks were not as numerous, but still frequent.

"See that? That's the result of radiation hitting the shield. We'll probably all have to go through decontamination," she added.

"Without these farms, the town will die," said Ms. Tuf.

"Yes, not to mention all the plants and animals," said Mirta.

"Nothing we can do about it," said Lucy, grimly.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Flora stepped into the lobby of the Guardian Building to find Mari waiting.

"Thank you for coming in," said Flora.

"What do I need to do?" asked the secretary, worried, "You didn't give me much information when you called."

"First, send me to Greenrock, then call Emergency Services," answered Flora, "Lucy said radioactive ore has been exposed there, and people are dying."

Mari gasped. "I'm on it." She bounded up the stairs to the transfer point, the Enchantix Fairy right behind her. She had left the controls set for Greenrock, so it was only a matter of seconds to send Flora. Then she turned to the desk, tapping a special control that connected her to all of the Emergency Services departments at once.

Flora appeared on the platform in Greenrock, where the sun was only a couple of hours from rising. She was met by several people, including Mr. Macawl.

"Welcome, Guardian Fairy, and thank you for coming so quickly," he said.

"You're welcome," she nodded, "You will probably be hearing from Emergency Services very soon."

"We're ready; I've got a list of sick people and their symptoms, as well as their locations," he replied, then added, "And those who have died."

"Very good," Flora said, approvingly, "Excuse me, I need to go and see the situation myself. Can you point me in the right direction?"

Going outside, Flora transformed, and Macawl directed her toward the Tuf farm. As it was still night, she flew up high and generated a bright green bioluminescent glow to light her way. As she neared the farm, an orange burst of light flew above the trees. She recognized it as Mirta's magic flare.

As soon as she landed her adopted sister came over and hugged her. "It's so horrible, Flora!" she wailed, "We were just talking to them, and the next thing we knew, they were gone!"

Flora returned the hug briefly. "We'll get through this, don't worry."

Lucy was standing nearby, watching as preparations to transport the affected were made. Flora went to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Lucy?"

The tall Witch's face was grim. "I've set up a barrier to keep out the radiation." She pointed, and Flora could see the sparks from the particles as they struck it.

"Thank you," said Flora, and gave the shoulder a squeeze. Lucy knew well what it meant; Flora was asking a question without saying anything.

Lucy dropped her head a bit. "No, I'm not all right," she said in a low voice, "I wish we had gotten here sooner; we might have been able to save them."

"Nobody knew, Lucy," said Flora, in an equally soft voice, "Don't second-guess yourself." Since finding her boyfriend Ygor, Lucy had opened up to Flora quite a bit, but both knew this wasn't the place for a talk.

Lucy shook her head. "Yeah, I guess..."

"I'm glad you know that radiation shield spell," added Flora, "I would have been at a loss."

Lucy understood what Flora was doing, and decided to go with it as a graceful out. She smirked at her boss. "Once again the Witch saves the day!"

Flora smiled and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, glory-hog."

Just then Aika Tuf came up to them. "Excuse me. are you Guardian Fairy Flora? Can you tell me when help will get here?"

"Emergency Services has been notified; I'm waiting to hear from..." Flora said, then was interrupted by her cell ringing.

"Mari? What's the latest?" she asked it.

"Good. Good. Hang on..." the Guardian Fairy looked at the farmer. "How far along are preparations for moving the affected?"

"They are as ready to go as possible," she answered, "I've had things moved away from the open yard here so vehicles can land."

"You heard? Okay. How long? Thanks. I'll keep you posted. Bye."

"They will be here in about fifteen minutes," said Flora, putting the phone away.

"Thank you," said the woman, with a sigh.

WC/WC/WC

A couple of hours later those with severe radiation poisoning had been taken away, and those with less exposure were being rounded up to go next. Those who had died were last.

The two Fairies and one Witch from the Guardian Fairy's office hovered above the farmhouse, watching the sparks fly off of the barrier Lucy had erected.

Flora, and Mirta to a lesser extent, could feel the plants dying slowly. It bothered them greatly, but they did their best to suppress it and stay focused. There was nothing they could do to save them now.

"What are we going to do?" Flora asked, "Linphea uses natural power sources, and fusion if necessary. We don't have any experience with this."

"Our world does," answered Mirta, with a confirming nod from Lucy, "We're not so advanced, and there are still some fission plants left on Casyopea. Still, it was covered in our basic magic training at home, before we left for Cloud Tower."

"Why is that?" asked Flora.

"In case there was an accident, any magic-user nearby could help contain it," Lucy explained, then gave a smirk, "Turns out I was better at it than Mirta."

"Okay, then, Miss Perfection, how do we handle this?" asked Mirta, gliding over to her best friend.

The Witch considered her options a moment. "Well, I set up the barrier at the edge of the farmyard. I could push it to where the stuff is on the mountain, but since the people are being evacuated, and the plants and animals beyond help now, there's no point." She sighed, "Besides, it will fade an hour or two after I leave the area."

"There's nothing else to see or do, Flora," added Mirta, "We might as well go home."

"Yes, you're right," nodded the Guardian Fairy, "As much as I hate to agree, it's out of our hands. Let's go."

The trio flew back to the town of Greenrock, where the radiation had been brought in by air currents, and was in the last stages of evacuation.

Mr. Macawl met them at the transfer station. "Thank you all for your help," he said, "Don't worry, the locals here are a hardy bunch; we'll make it."

"That makes me feel better," Flora replied, "We're going to figure out what, if anything, we can do. But this area won't be habitable for many years to come."

"We know, and we don't like it, but Linphea is a big planet, and there is still a lot to explore."

He manipulated the controls and the three disappeared.

WC/WC/WC

"Hold still," Mari said, standing at the controls. She tapped a few buttons on the console that had never been used before. She watched the readout for a minute, then smiled.

"Your rad count is very slightly elevated, but not nearly enough to warrant decontamination," she explained. "I would get out of those clothes and dispose of them, though. That's probably most of it."

"Yes, we should do that," agreed Lucy. "And drop them off at the fusion plant. That will be the best way to be rid of them."

"All right, let's go home, and come back later. We need to find out more," said Flora, "Mari, while we're gone please do me a favor and contact Guardian Fairy Tecna of Zenith. She might have some information or ideas."

"I'll take care of it," nodded the blond secretary.

The three left and were gone for nearly two hours. Lucy came in first, learned her boss and best friend were not there yet, and asked Mari to check for radiation.

While she stood on the transfer platform, Mari did a scan. "You're clean, Lucy, level back to normal."

"All right. Don't forget to do the same for Flora and Mirta," she said, and left the room. As time had passed, Mari had gotten used to Lucy's Witchy ways, and no longer thought anything of it.

Flora and Mirta also proved to be clean. They all regretted the clothes they had lost, but it was a small price to pay.

"I put in a call to Guardian Tecna, but is on a mission and unavailable," Mari reported. "I did leave a message to call back, though."

"Too bad; we could really use her help. Thank you, Mari," nodded Flora. She looked around at her staff. "Okay, everyone, let's think, and decide what to do."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Flora stepped into the communications room, trailed by Mirta, Lucy, and Mari.

Mari immediately pulled up a 3D satellite contour picture of the area around Greenrock, and overlaid the radiation readings. An area of violet, the strongest radiation, was near the mountain, dropping off to blue, then green, orange, yellow, and red as one got further from the source.

"At least the radiation is contained within the circle of mountains around Greenrock," Mirta noted.

"And the town itself is the least affected," added Mari.

Lucy shrugged. "It's all gonna be uninhabitable for decades anyway."

"Those poor plants and animals," murmured Flora. She looked at her assistants. "I know, the area is too big, and there are too many of them to help." There were tears in her eyes, but she calmed herself. "I just have to think of it as part of the Cycle of Nature."

"Is there anything we can do for the people?" asked Mirta, "Are there any medicines or machines here that can help them?"

"Yes, there are some, but not nearly enough," Mari said. "The Royal Family has contacted some of the other realms and asked for help. They are waiting for answers."

There were sighs around the table, and all of them looked sad.

"Flora, Lucy, Mirta, you did as much as you could, but it's out of your hands now," Mari said.

"Yes, but it feels like we didn't do enough," said Lucy, and left the room.

The others looked in her direction, Flora and Mari surprised that a Witch would feel that way.

Mirta caught their mood, and explained. "It's because she has knowledge and spells that are useful with radiation, and was not able to use them quickly enough. I know you wouldn't do so, but other Witches might accuse her of not being on top of the problem, and looking bad."

"We would never do that! And she knows it!" exclaimed Mari.

"Yes, she does. But if I know Lucy, she will be more efficient and focused from now on until the problem is solved," answered the half-Witch. "Appearances, remember."

"Yes, that's Lucy, all right..." murmured Flora, and they returned attention to the computer.

WC/WC/WC

It was some hours later when Tecna called.

"Tec! Good to hear from you!" said Flora, happily as she answered the phone.

"Yes, you as well," was the answer. "I know why you called, and I have been briefed on the situation there,"

Flora wasn't surprised at all. "Can you help me? Tell me what to do?"

"I'm afraid there isn't anything you CAN do," the Fairy of Technology said, "According to the report, that earthquake exposed matanium ore, and it produces large quantities of delta radiation. The best response is to quarantine the area, and stay away," said Tecna.

"Could we… cover it up with more rock?" asked Flora.

"That would help, until the next earthquake," answered Tecna. "Matanium has a half-life of forty thousand years, so that area will be uninhabitable for a long time."

"Half-life? What does that mean?" asked Flora.

"As time passes, the matanium decays into other elements, like lead. But it takes forty thousand years for half of it to do so. Then another forty thousand for the next half, and so on."

"Oh, I see… we covered this at Alfea, didn't we? I seem to recall…" asked Flora, thinking.

"Yes, but it was cursory at best. The class was about using individual elements in spells," Tecna said. Tecna knew well how smart her friend was, and although the hard sciences weren't her best subject, it would take only the right nudge or two to make her remember and understand.

The Zenithian Fairy heard a discouraged sigh. "I think I get it, Tec, and I'll take your advice into consideration and pass it along to the authorities."

"If you would, add that Zenith will be sending some equipment to help those with radiation poisoning," the fuscha-haired girl said.

"I will do so, thank you," Flora smiled briefly.

"I am sorry I could not help more. But do not hesitate to call me if you need to," said Tecna.

"I will. Thank you, and goodbye!"

"Goodbye, Flora, take care!"

"You too!" Her smile quickly faded as she hung up the phone. She tapped a button on her desk. "Guys, come to my office, please."

When the other three arrived, they found Flora standing behind her desk and looking out through the large windows that gave a wonderful view of the Linphean capital city.

"I just heard from Tecna," she said, "And she says the same thing; stay away from the area until the ore decays, in about a hundred thousand years."

"If anybody would know, it would be her," said Mirta, softly. Then something unfamiliar caught her eye; the plant Flora had brought back from the City of Trees.

"Hey, Flora, what's this?" Mirta asked, rubbing a leaf gently.

"Oh, that's the dragonsnap flower Princess Krystal wanted to see me about…" Flora's leaf-green eyes opened wide. "Of course! This plant has a scent that helps bolster sick people's immune systems! The hospital can use it on the affected!"

"I'm sensing a 'but' here," said Lucy.

"All the plants are dying because they need the energy of a crystal found on their native world! We need to go and find the crystal! Now!" having a plan of action had revitalized the Flower Fairy.

She turned to her secretary. "Mari, call Support and have them get a small ship ready for a two or three day trip. Have them include equipment for digging, like picks, and add some boxes to the inventory."

"On it," Mari nodded and headed for her desk downstairs.

"Lucy, I need you to come along," said Flora, turning to the tall Witch.

"Me?" Lucy said, surprised.

"You can pilot the ship, and help me get the crystal," Flora explained.

Lucy nodded. "Fine. I'll go pack some stuff we might be able to use."

"Mirta…" said Flora.

"You said something that triggered a memory just now," the redheaded half-Witch told her sister, "About the ore decaying. I think I know someone who can help that along." She grinned.

"Oh?" asked Flora, thinking but not coming up with anything.

"My friend Kansa of Ektar, the Fairy of Decay," said Mirta, "Her power speeds up things breaking down. It might be just what is needed."

"YES! Brilliant! Call her!" Flora grinned even wider.

"I'll take care of it while you're gone, and be here if she can come soon," said Mirta.

"Flora!" called Mari, "The ship will be ready in about twenty minutes!"

"I'm ready too," added Lucy.

Flora gave Mirta a brief hug. "Bye, sis. We'll be back soon. Thanks!"

"Better go before Lucy starts getting impatient," Mirta said, letting go. "Take care! Oh, wait! You might want to take the flower along, for reference if nothing else." She picked up the potted plant and held it out.

"Of course! Thank you!" Flora took it and headed for the door.

Shortly thereafter, Lucy and Flora were gone, and Mirta went to her own office to make a call to Alfea.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The small ship was painted forest green, and had the Linphean Royal Crest on the side. It was designed to accommodate four people for up to two weeks, though not in the greatest comfort.

"Flora, the system is coming up. I estimate we'll be there in about an hour," called Lucy. The trip had taken about ten hours so far.

The Flower Fairy came on to the command deck and stood beside the tall Witch, who was sitting in the pilot's chair. In a pinch, Flora could fly the ship too, but she preferred not to if she could avoid it. Lucy's piloting skills were far beyond her own.

Fifteen minutes later they dropped out of hyperspace as they neared the system. According to the data, there were just four planets, and the two habitable ones orbited a common center of gravity. The sun was an unremarkable yellow dwarf.

Nearing their goal, they studied the two worlds. Both were blue, white, and green, with splashes of yellow.

"Which one do we want?" asked Flora. She couldn't tell any real difference.

Lucy reached past Flora and tapped a few keys. Two sets of data appeared on the monitor. "The one that has slightly less mass… the one to port."

The green haired Witch adjusted their flight accordingly, and soon they were flying low over a desert. By the reports, the level of technology here was fairly low. Lucy wanted to buzz a city and scare the locals into telling them what they needed to know, but Flora vetoed that, opting to find a few isolated people to ask and try not to scare them.

Lucy grumbled about Flora 'spoiling her fun', but didn't argue. The mission was time sensitive, after all.

"There's someone," said Lucy, pointing to a sensor readout. "A lone person with an animal of some kind. By their course, they are coming from those mountains to the west."

"Wonderful. Land nearby, but not too close," ordered Flora.

"I know, I know. Stand by; less than a minute to landing." Lucy tapped at the keyboard.

The traveler stood and watched the ship land, showing no fear, but curiosity. The animal, riding on their shoulder, watched as well.

Stepping down the ramp, Flora and Lucy walked toward the traveler, who had put their staff upright. The animal, now seen to be lizardlike, suddenly spread wings and launched into the sky. It started circling them, but made no call.

"A dragon!" exclaimed Flora.

"Yeah…" Lucy decided to keep an eye on it.

"Hello!" called Flora, waving, "Can we talk to you?"

The traveler hesitated a moment, then waved them closer.

As they approached, they saw the traveler was female, thin, had dark red hair with streaks of gray in it, and was scarred on the left shoulder and face. Her clothes were a gray tank top, brown pants, and mismatched boots. The hood of a dark cloak was on her head, providing protection from the intense sun. Her clothes were torn in places. Flora estimated her age to be in the early thirties.

She was wearing a backpack, and her staff proved to be a metal polearm that was scraped and blackened, and taller than she was. It had a rather nasty blade on the end, and the weapon gave both the Fairy and the Witch bad vibes.

"Hello," she said, "I am Sintel, and my companion is named Lucky. Who are you?"

"I'm Flora, and this is Lucy," was the answer. Flora was smiling while Lucy gave a nod. "Would you like to get out of the sun while we talk? Plenty of shade under the ship."

Sintel nodded. "Yes, it's been unrelenting since we got to the desert." She gave a whistle, and Lucky swooped down to land on her shoulder, making her stagger a bit under the sudden weight.

Lucy went on ahead and spread a tarp to sit on, and brought out some water and glasses.

Under the ship, Sintel examined a landing strut and touched the hull, but didn't ask any questions. She sat cross-legged and lay the polearm down within easy reach. She accepted the water and Lucky drank from a bowl beside her.

With a sigh, Sintel put down the glass. "Thank you. What did you want to talk about?"

"We are looking for a type of crystal," said Flora, "It is milky-white, with a bluish tinge, and glows."

"Dragon crystal," Sintel nodded. "I know it. What do you need it for?"

"There is a local plant whose scent helps heal. We have an emergency with lots of ill people, and the plant could help them, but it needs the energy of the crystal to live and we don't have the crystal."

"This is the plant," said Lucy, coming down the ramp, dragonsnap in hand.

Seeing it, the redheaded traveler nodded. "Then let us bargain. I will tell you where to find the crystal in exchange for supplies."

"That's fair," agreed Lucy.

"And a look inside your… uh… ship," Sintel added.

Lucy looked at Flora. Allowing that was her decision.

"Sintel, you're not nervous about it?" asked Flora, surprised.

The woman shrugged. "You two are people, and it's just a machine. The world is large, and there is much I haven't seen. There's no reason to be afraid."

Flora stood up, quickly followed by Sintel and Lucy. "Then you may certainly come inside!"

Lucky had curled up and fallen asleep, so they left the little dragon there and went inside.

"The air is cool," Sintel remarked first thing. "It feels nice." She went to look out the forward ports, then examined the control surfaces. Flora noticed she had a slight limp.

"Don't touch anything," said Lucy, sharply.

"I won't," Sintel assured her, and clasped her hands behind her back.

As a bonus for her help, Sintel was offered, and accepted, a chance to take a hot shower. It was a rare luxury for her, and she took her time with it.

While she did, Lucy put all of her clothes through the recycler, from which they emerged clean and repaired.

The ship's galley had a food synthesizer, and Flora set it to make emergency rations. They were paper-wrapped brown squares the size of a playing card and a half-inch thick. Kept wrapped, they would be edible for years to come.

Flora explained they could be prepared a number of ways, or eaten as-is. Two a day would be plenty, and Sintel's backpack was loaded with a thirty-day supply for her and her dragon. The local food she had was on the verge of spoiling from the desert heat, so it was disposed of, leaving plenty of room.

Her canteen was filled with fresh water, and she was given a second canteen as well.

Flora's part of the bargain met, Sintel showed them on a map where they could find dragon crystal. "It is only found in the caves of dragons," she told them. "This is where a… particular dragon lived. I know you will find crystal there."

Seeing Sintel's expression, Flora said, "Something happened there, didn't it?"

"Yes. I would go with you to show you, but I can't. It's still too fresh for me," she answered.

"I'm sorry," said Flora.

"You didn't know. But I will say this; I hope that, by helping you and the sick people, it will make up for some of what happened. I need to go," said the local girl, and headed for the ramp, where her backpack waited.

"Wait," said Flora, "Sintel, your memories are your own, but I can see you are in pain as well. If you will trust me, I can help."

Sintel turned and looked at the two strange women. "This was not in the bargain."

"No, but that's the way Flora is," said Lucy.

Sintel nodded, and Flora went to her. She placed her hands half on the woman's shoulders and half on the sides of her neck. Looking into her eyes, Flora saw for the first time they were an odd reddish-gold.

Flora's healing energy flowed into Sintel, easing the strained muscles and loosening knots. Cuts and abrasions, cleaned in the shower, healed, and the scars faded away. Her hair still had streaks of gray, but as it grew the dark red would be restored.

Sintel smiled and stretched. "I feel great! Thank you!" She was standing straighter, and she found breathing was easier. "I thought there was something magical about you two."

They went outside, where Sintel woke Lucky and retrieved her polearm. Lucy folded the tarp and gathered the glasses and bowl.

"I would like to visit you again sometime," said Flora, "How can I find you?"

Sintel pointed. "I am going home, to the city of Ishtar. It is beyond the desert that way. It is surrounded by badlands, but with your craft you can find it without trouble."

"Very well," said Flora, "Goodbye, Sintel and Lucky! Have a safe journey!"

Lucy paused to wave at them as the odd pair left the shadow of the ship.

Traveler and dragon paused to watch as the ship lifted off and flew toward the mountains. It had been a strange encounter, but she was better off for it. She hoped they would find what they needed quickly. She turned her attention back to the sand ahead, and strode on toward home.

WC/WC/WC

"Do you have the position of Ishtar?" asked Flora.

"Yep, no problem," answered Lucy, "And I figured you would want to contact her, so I slipped a tracer into her backpack's lining."

"Lucy!" said Flora, exasperated. Then she smiled. "Thanks."

A half hour's flight took them to the volcanic mountains along the west coast of the continent. Sintel's description of the area allowed them to find the ruined dragon cave easily. Just outside the rubble stood a Dragon's Blood Tree, and they could see dragonsnap flowers nearby.

They also saw dragons, some of them huge, flying alone or in groups around and over the mountains, but none came near.

There was no suitable landing place, so Lucy came as close to the ground as she dared and put the ship on hover.

Flora changed to Enchantix form and flew with Lucy to the tree. Each was carrying a box to put crystal in. They could see the white crystal gleaming amidst the boulders and rubble.

Using magic, they levitated the crystals and filled the boxes with them.

"This will do," said Flora, "We need to head back home."

Inside, Flora put a small piece of dragon crystal in the soil of the flower pot. She could feel the plant's reaction easily. It was happy, and taking in the energy as rapidly as possible.

As they settled into chairs on the command deck, Flora asked the Witch, "What do you think happened here?"

Lucy glanced at her. "To tell the truth, I'm beginning to think I don't want to know."

"Yeah, me too…"

With that, the small ship headed away from the double planet, and back toward Linphea.

Author's Note: Sintel is the main character of the Blender Foundation's short movie of the same name. It is easily found on YouTube or the official website sintel dot org. I highly recommend it.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Mirta sat in the waiting room in the Linphean capital's Transfer Station. It was only a few hours since Flora and Lucy had left to find those crystals, and a lot had happened since then.

Help for the victims of radiation poisoning had been arriving steadily, both through the Station and by spaceship, and converging on the hospital.

Princess Krystal had called, and Mirta had filled her in on the plan, which seemed to please the royal. The princess was a very nice person, ignoring Mirta's nervousness while talking to her.

Now she was awaiting the arrival of her friend and Circle sister Kansa from Alfea. Ms. Faragonda had given approval for her to leave the school and come help with the exposed ore.

"MIRTA!" said an excited voice, and she stood up only to be glomped by Kansa who gave her a hard hug.

"Uh, hi!" she responded, returning the hug. When she got her breath back she added, "Great to see you!"

Kansa of Ektar, the Fairy of Decay, was just a bit taller than Mirta, with white hair, medium gray eyes, and light gray skin. She was wearing comfortable pale blue slacks and a matching short sleeve blouse, and flat shoes. She was a few years younger than Mirta, and now a sophomore at Alfea.

As they left the station, Kansa looked around at the sights she had last seen over a year before, when Mirta's Misfits had been sent to Linphea on a mission.

"I am very honored you asked me for help," said Kansa, slinging her bag from one hand to the other, "Imagine, a real, constructive use for my power!"

"Do you think you'll be able to do what's needed?" asked Mirta.

"In principle it shouldn't be a problem," answered Kansa, "Earlier this year Palladium and I experimented with the decay of chemical elements, and some radioactives were part of it." She paused, thinking, "It's the amount of ore that worries me. It might take several sessions across a number of days to do anything noticeable. It will likely be tiring."

"Don't worry about that," said Mirta, guiding her toward the Guardian Fairy's Building, "As part of the contract with us you have food and lodging provided. You can rest when you need to for as long as you need to."

"Well… I don't want to miss too much time at Alfea," said Kansa, worried.

"Ms. Faragonda is very forgiving, you know that," smiled the half-Witch, "You'll be able to make it up."

Inside the building, Mari and Kansa renewed their acquaintance, and Mari promised to have her bag delivered to the hotel room reserved for her.

Mirta took Kansa to the Communications Room and showed her the pictures and maps of the area. The pale girl studied them closely, progressively becoming more worried as she did.

"Let me check something..." She gave the computer instructions, and the view pulled back somewhat. Weather patterns were overlaid, and a problem was immediately noticed.

"See this?" Kansa pointed, "When the season changes, the winds will come into the valley through here, and push the contaminated air over these hills. A much larger area is in danger, unless I can reduce the amount of radiation."

Mirta looked at her friend. "Wow, we never thought of that! Why did you?"

Kansa grinned. "Luna and Priscilla. They made me a lot more weather-conscious than I ever was before. Oh, and before I forget, Trasundah says hi."

Mirta smiled at the thought of the other Circle member still at Alfea, the first Downlander Fairy, who was now a senior.

Mari came in just then, and joined them at the table. They showed her the new danger, and the blond Linphean left to make a call to the appropriate people.

"That's all we have at the moment," said Mirta, "Is there anything you need before we go?"

"Can we eat something first? I was too excited about coming here earlier," was the answer.

Mirta laughed. "Yeah, I think we can find you something…"

WC/WC/WC

The Fairy of Pumpkins and the Fairy of Decay appeared on the transfer platform in the town of Greenrock, and went outside. Mirta had cast the shield spell Lucy taught her around each of them before they arrived.

Here it was early in the morning, so they expected to get a lot done. There were a few vehicles, obviously not Linphean, in the street, there to monitor the levels of radioactivity. Otherwise the town was deserted. And hopefully, the rest of the valley.

They reported to the one in charge, then changed to Fairy form and took off for the hills to the south.

"Okay," called Kansa, "We're about as far from the source as we can be. I'm going to start."

"Standing by," said Mirta, watching the readout on a sensor box she had brought.

As usual, Kansa's power had no visible manifestation, but Mirta could tell she was working by her position and concentration. As she watched the readout, the radiation slowly dropped off until it matched the normal background level.

Guiding her friend, they swept back and forth across the valley, and after several hours had decontaminated about a third of the area. Still, it did not help the plants and animals, which made Mirta sad. There was much death here already, and soon there would be more.

Flying back to Greenrock, they were shown to a vehicle containing a serve-yourself cafeteria and places to rest.

After eating Kansa sat back and gave a long breath. "Whew! Give me an hour or so, and I'll be good to go again."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to burn yourself out," said Mirta.

"It's fine,' the pale girl shook her head. "It's actually thanks to Flora that I can last as long as I can."

At her friend's puzzled look, Kansa explained. "Remember she told me to come see her after graduation; she might have a job for me helping with the decay of dead plants and animals for the renewal of forests. So I've been practicing, extending the time I can use my power and increasing its range."

"Came in handy now," the half-Witch commented.

"Very much so, and I am glad," answered Kansa.

WC/WC/WC

By late afternoon they had covered the entire valley, leaving the strongest radiation, near the source, for last. The sun was about an hour and a half from disappearing behind the mountains, so they wanted to work on the ore while it was still light.

As they approached, sparks started pinging off of their shields. Together they cast a converged shield spell over the exposed ore to contain the delta radiation, and Kansa began the accelerated decay rate.

After an hour of concentration, Kansa stopped. "How are the readings?" she asked.

Mirta checked the sensor box. "If I read this right, delta radiation is down about ninety-three percent, and the outer three or four inches of the ore itself is now mostly lead and nickel. You've done it, Kansa; the valley is still uninhabitable, but the danger of spreading radiation is very low now."

"It wasn't nearly as bad I thought it would be. Let me rest a few minutes, and we can go," said Kansa, sitting down under a tree. She shifted back to human form.

"Sure. I'll be back shortly," was the answer, and Mirta disappeared behind some bushes to take care of personal business.

When she came back, she found Kansa leaning against the tree, eyes closed and relaxed. As she approached, she noticed something strange.

"Hey, Kansa?" she called.

"Time to go?" the other asked.

"If you're ready, but… you look different," said Mirta stopping by her.

Kansa's head jerked up and her eyes flew open. "What? Different?" She stood up and looked at her arms.

Her hair was still white, but her pale gray skin had darkened to a deep ash gray, nearly black. Her eyes were blood red, and her ears had lengthened, sticking out of her hair and tapering to a point.

"No… no… not now! I… I…" she said to herself. With her changes confirmed, the girl groaned. "Not this!"

"What happened?" asked Mirta softly, staring at her.

The unnerving red eyes locked on to her. "The disguise spell wore off." Then, as if she had just remembered who Mirta was, she turned away, muttering, "No, not her… please, not her…" She hugged herself, shaking with emotion.

"Kansa? Are you… a Drow elf?" asked the half-Witch.

Her shoulders slumped and she looked down. "Yes."

"But how is that possible? History says all of your kind were hunted down and killed what, four hundred years ago?"

Kansa shook her head, not looking at Mirta. "No, not all. A few survived. I am descended from them." She raised her head, staring deeply into Mirta's green eyes. "Mirta, I am not allowed to let anyone who discovers me live."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

A feeling of cold dread spread over the redhead, and she took a step back. "Kansa, I'm an Enchantix Fairy; you _know_ you have no chance against me."

"I know," she answered, looking down again, "But I have to try. Either I kill you, or you kill me. No other options."

"Before we fight, why don't you tell me what is going on?" asked Mirta, still tense and ready to transform and unleash her magic.

Pause. "Okay. You're my Circle sister and my friend. You deserve to know." Kansa sat back down under the tree, and after a moment, Mirta sat as well.

"Hundreds of years ago the Drow were far more numerous. When the king thought us strong enough, he ordered war against the rest of the Magical Dimension. He had a lot of early success, too; conquering world after world, conscripting the locals into the army and enslaving the rest.

I don't know many details, but I've heard through family history a lot of cruelty was committed against those who were not Drow; public torture, killing for no reason at all… makes me sick to think of it, but those Drow who wrote the histories were proud of it.

Before the king could consolidate his power and newly expanded empire, the more advanced worlds responded. The war in space and on the ground was long and hard, but the other worlds won. Our armies were driven out, and when the cruelties inflicted on the locals became known, the allied worlds quit trying to just stop and capture us. They issued a 'kill on sight' order for every Drow, military or not."

Mirta grew pale. She couldn't imagine what the Drow had done for such an order to be issued, nor did she want to.

"Many Drow retreated to the homeworld and the reinforcements made the final battle that much fiercer. But at last the other ships broke through the blockade and destroyed the world with a planet buster. I understand it is a fractured planet now, with an extensive asteroid belt and no life. But no Drow goes there.

They hunted down every Drow they could, and killed all of them. But it is a big universe, and some survived."

Kansa stopped her narrative and looked at Mirta. "You okay?"

Mirta was on the verge of throwing up. "No, I'm not. No matter what your people had done, it does not justify genocide. Not all Drow were involved."

Kansa looked at Mirta for a long moment, then continued. "The few ships that survived met and traveled to Ektar. The humans there, as you might know, already somewhat resembled us. It was not hard to use disguise spells and blend in. There is still danger there, but we've done our best not to be found.

It took time, but we established our own city there, and have worked to purge the cruel and warlike parts of our culture. The Drow who live now do not want anything but to be left alone and live their lives. But we cannot be safe if anyone knows. That's why we have to fight."

"But Kansa, it's been hundreds of years since then. There are few people living who remember that war," objected Mirta.

"The order to kill Drow on sight was never rescinded. We've checked. We cannot take that chance," was the answer. "Our Elder Council has a very long term plan in motion for us to be known again and integrate into civilization. But that will not happen for hundreds of years yet," she added.

"What kind of plan?" asked the half-Witch.

"Mostly one of waiting and staying hidden until enough time has passed," Kansa answered, "Our population is still small. We need to protect ourselves until then, and that's where I come in. Going to Alfea and becoming a Fairy will help us survive. I'm not the only one, either. We have students at other schools."

"Does Ms. Faragonda know?"

"No." She looked at Mirta, sitting near her in the slowly dimming light. "How do you feel about me now?"

With no hesitation Mirta answered, "You showed us your power over a year ago. I wasn't afraid of you or hated you then, and I don't feel any different now."

"Truly?"

"Truly. Your armies never reached my world, and that war is only a footnote in our history books. No Drow has ever done me harm, or my ex-family, so I have nothing against you.

What I do feel is sadness for you and your people. I sort of understand your caution, but don't think it's really necessary any more. Only primitive cultures blame descendents for the actions of their ancestors," said Mirta.

Kansa of Ektar broke down and started to cry. Mirta scooted over and took her friend into her arms and hugged her, rubbing her back and letting her get the emotions out.

"I'm your friend, Kansa," she said, softly, "It was safe to tell me. And I want to help you and your people."

Kansa drew back. "But how?"

"I don't know yet," Mirta shook her head, "But at least we have to tell Flora."

Kansa broke away entirely. "I cannot allow that."

"But…"

"No. There is too much at stake to risk the reaction of a Guardian Fairy," said Kansa, crossing her arms. "We have to fight now."

"Kansa!"

The Drow stared at Mirta, red eyes flashing. "Now you know what I have to fight for; the existence of my people. I have to kill you." For all her bravado, Kansa wished desperately that another Circle sister, Elanor of Delona, the Fairy of Bad Luck, was with her. Their magic converged easily, and would take down Mirta.

"If you win, I beg you to keep our secret. Will you do that for a Circle sister?" asked Kansa.

"I- I'm with the Guardian Fairy's office. I have to think of the greater good," Mirta answered.

"Then I have no choice but to kill you."

"Sigh… I understand, then. You're welcome to try. Enchantix!" Mirta transformed and lifted off the ground, wings waving gently.

Kansa gave a smirk. "A bit eager, are we?"

Mirta smirked back. "I still have enough Witch in me to enjoy some action. Hurry up; it's getting dark."

Kansa transformed and followed Mirta higher into the sky.

"Negatus!" shouted Kansa, throwing a burst of magic at Mirta.

Mirta could feel the protection bubble around her weakening, so she used her magic and strengthened it, making it glow orange.

"Virtual pumpkin!" said Mirta, throwing a blob of orange at her opponent. It unexpectedly passed through Kansa's shield and hit her square in the chest, leaving her covered with slimy fruit entrails. The half-Witch flew off toward the forest nearby.

While she wiped it off, Kansa remembered that Mirta had cast her protection spell, so any magic she might try would not be stopped by it. Then she realized it had been a distraction. She turned around quickly.

Thick vines were reaching for her, to ensnare her, but were not quite to her yet. "Don't think so, Mirta! Entropy!" her innate power enveloped the plants, causing them to wither away. The remaining pumpkin on her top dried up and crumbled away.

Mirta groaned from the empathic shock, and fought to stay airborne.

"Hammer of Wind!" cried the Drow, and a powerful downdraft slammed into Mirta, pushing her toward the ground. She barely had enough presence of mind to call bushes to catch her.

Kansa grinned. That spell had been developed by Luna and Priscilla, and gave her hope she could win.

Mirta rolled off of the bushes and got unsteadily to her feet. Kansa was flying toward her, hands in a "cast spell" position, but no visible glow.

Mirta decided to use her own innate magic; the power to make pictures from emotions. And she took a leaf from Darcy's book. "Illusion Delusion!" she said, softly.

Multiple copies of herself appeared between them, all facing Kansa. The other Fairy drew up, uncertain. This was something she had never seen Mirta do before.

"Take her down, girls!" shouted Mirta, flying up to join them.

Her copies merged on Kansa, who had yet to think of a counterspell.

So instead of using magic she lashed out, slamming fists and feet into the Mirtas surrounding her. As she hit each one, they vanished. Seeing they were not real, she tried to fly away from them to find the real one.

But it was too late. A thick green and brown net appeared and drew tight against her, pinning her wings to her body. She screamed and struggled, to no avail.

Catching the falling girl with a levitation spell, Mirta lowered her gently to the ground, where she continued to struggle. She tried using a decay spell, but nothing happened. Her magic seemed to be bottled up inside her.

Mirta landed beside her and grinned. "I told you that you had no chance against me."

Kansa glared, her red eyes making the expression more unnerving, but Mirta did her best to ignore it.

"All right, you've won," said Kansa, straining against the net, "Now you have no choice. Kill me."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"What do you mean, I have no choice?" asked Mirta, puzzled.

"The 'kill on sight' order is still in effect," explained Kansa. "Do it now; don't make me wait."

The half-Witch shook her head. "No such order exists on Linphea." She shifted back to human form.

That pronouncement startled the other girl. "What?" The discomfort of her pinned wings prompted her to change as well. The feeling of her magic being bottled up grew stronger.

"It's true. When I moved here I looked over the local laws to make sure I stayed within them," said Mirta, sitting down with a sigh, "There are surprisingly few in effect, since natural law is considered highest here, and there is no 'kill Drow on sight' order on the books."

She moved to a cross-legged position. "I don't believe your armies ever got here, and Linphea never participated in the war, so this world would actually be a safe haven for your people."

Kansa laid her head back. Could it be true? Her ancestors had chosen Ektar because of the close resemblance the humans there already had with them. But the order was in effect there, as the planet had been part of the allied worlds during the war. It was a moral dilemma for the current living Drow, as well as a constant danger.

"So if you're not going to kill me, what are you going to do?" asked Kansa, defeated.

"WE are going to talk to Flora," declared Mirta.

Kansa shook her head. "As long as I am alive I will resist with everything I have, and I will kill you and anyone you tell if I have a chance."

Mirta grinned in response. "I wouldn't expect anything less." She stood up and brushed dirt from her pants. "But you're not giving me any choice here. To keep us alive and you under control, I'm going to have to cast a spell I hate that I even know."

This worried Kansa. "What kind of spell?"

"A Witch's enslavement spell. It will make you WANT to obey me; be eager to carry out any order I give you. But that's not all," Mirta's face turned red. "Sometimes it will make you humiliate yourself without my prompting."

Kansa raised a white eyebrow. "Huh? Why?"

"To remind you of your place, and to amuse me," said Mirta in almost a whisper, "It's a Witch spell, after all. And you'll be aware of it, and remember it, and unable to stop."

The Drow made no answer, just glared.

"Hey, if you would just cooperate it wouldn't be necessary," argued Mirta.

"I cannot. I'm under orders from our Elder Council, just like every other Drow off Ektar."

"All right, then," said the redhead, "Kansa, I'm really sorry. You're still my friend and Circle Sister, and doing this to you is the last thing I want. But I don't know any other way."

The white haired girl looked away. "I'm sorry too."

Mirta held her hands over Kansa's trapped body and said some words the Drow didn't quite catch. An orange glow appeared around her, then seemed to be absorbed into her.

With the spell cast, Mirta removed the net and Kansa could feel her magic flowing again. She stood up and faced her Mistress.

"Mirta, I hate you," she hissed, crossing her arms.

Startled, the Fairy of Pumpkins drew back a step, even knowing Kansa could do nothing against her. "Uh?"

"You're _controlling_ me! Could you reasonably expect anything else?" answered the other.

"No, I guess not. Kansa, I'm really sorry, but you gave me no choice," said Mirta, sadly.

"I hate you, hate you, hate you!" said Kansa, still glaring, her hands balled into fists at her sides.

Tears appeared in Mirta's eyes.

"My anger burns hotter than the fire of the Great Dragon!" exclaimed Kansa, "My hatred of you will last beyond the end of the Magical Universe! I…"

"ENOUGH!" shouted the half-Witch, now crying openly.

Unable to continue her tirade, Kansa's glare would have reduced Mirta to ashes, had it been able.

The redhead wiped her eyes. "I'm going to help you, whether you want me to or not, because the alternative is death for one of us."

She eyed her Circle sister. "But if you still feel this way after its all over and I release you, you may take your revenge, and I will not resist."

Kansa's stance softened. "You _would_ do that," she muttered, looking away. "Agreed. But only because I have to."

Tears started again, but Mirta hardened her heart. She had to. "Then renew your disguise, and let us go home."

WC/WC/WC

Back in Greenrock, they found all but one of the monitoring vehicles gone. Mirta reported to the supervisor, then they went to the General Store. The town was eerily quiet.

"What's the latest, Mari?" asked Mirta when they transferred back to the capital. They were checked for radiation and found to be clean.

"Flora and Lucy were successful, and are about six hours from home. Help for the victims is here, and they are being cared for, but there have been a few more deaths."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," said Mirta, and Kansa nodded as well.

"It couldn't be helped. But the dragonsnaps will hopefully help the others. Kansa, thank you so much," said Mari, "We have the reports that you've handled the ore and the contaminated air. You've saved a lot of Linphea."

"It was my honor to help," Kansa answered with a smile. "It's a rare thing for my power to be used for something good."

"It will happen a lot more often if you take up Flora's offer after you graduate," said Mari.

"Yeah, I'm still thinking about it," said the Ektarian.

"Let's get something to eat," Mirta said, "I'm really hungry now. C'mon, Kansa, I'll treat you to Lucy's favorite spot."

"And you might as well get some rest," Mari said, "There's nothing to do until Flora gets back."

"Good idea. See you in the morning," said Mirta, and the Circle sisters took their leave.

WC/WC/WC

Kansa was thoughtful while they ate, and Mirta didn't intrude. The idea Kansa hated her upset her greatly, and it was something she would never want. She tried to think of a way to diffuse the situation, but unsuccessfully.

After the meal they had a sweet, hot drink that someone from Earth would say was tangerine and chocolate, with a hint of butter.

Kansa looked up from her cup. "Mirta, you know I have a temper. I'm angry and upset, but I… I don't really hate you. It's just not in me to do that. You were one of my first ever friends, we are Circle sisters, and I understand you want to help."

"Thank you," smiled the redhead, suddenly feeling much better.

Mirta paid the bill, and they walked to Kansa's hotel, where her room was waiting.

"Since your will isn't your own right now, I'll stay here with you until tomorrow," said Mirta, sitting on the couch.

Reminded of the spell on her, Kansa bit back a scathing comment. "Fine." She sat on the bed and took a couple of deep breaths to calm down. Then she went to get ready for sleep. Afterwards, she got in bed, but didn't yet turn off the light. Mirta was laying down on the couch with a blanket over her.

"Would Linpheans really accept us living here? Would we be safe?" she finally asked.

"This is only your second visit," answered Mirta, "And you don't really know much about this world. Everyone is accepted as they are, the way Nature does. I honestly can't imagine any Linphean caring what you are, as long as you don't bring deliberate harm to the world."

The half-Witch smiled. "And since you are the one who fixed a major problem, people here would only see the hero, not the… other you."

She looked at her friend. "Do you want me to take off the spell?"

"Yes. No. I mean… yes, I want you to, but no, don't," said Kansa, "Nothing has been decided yet, and I am still under orders. See what I mean?"

"Yeah, and you're right. We'll see what happens tomorrow." Good night.

"Good night, Mirta. I really hope it works out," said the other, and the room was plunged into darkness.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Mirta was in her office and Kansa in the library when they heard the door open downstairs and Flora's familiar voice. Together they went down the spiral staircase and got a shock. Along with Lucy, Princess Krystal was with Flora.

"Y-your highness!" said Mirta, and gave a bow. A second later Kansa did the same. Near the door, Lucy smirked at her friend's nervousness. She, of course, would never admit feeling the same way when she met the royal.

"You must be Mirta," said Krystal, smiling, "Flora is lucky to have you for a sister and assistant." She turned to the pale girl. "And you are Kansa of Ektar. You have done Linphea a great service, and it will not be forgotten."

"It was my honor, highness," answered Kansa.

"The dragonsnaps have been restored, thanks to the crystal, and their scent is making a real difference to all the affected," said Krystal, "The doctors think everyone still alive will recover. It is a great day for Linphea!"

The princess went over to Kansa and gave her a hug. "Thank you so much! If there is anything at all I, or my office, can do for you, just name it."

Mirta saw the opportunity, and took it. "Princess, there is something you can do."

This got the attention of everyone in the room, and Kansa stared at her in shock.

"We need privacy to explain, though," said the half-Witch. She gave Kansa a wink.

Once gathered in Flora's office, Mirta turned to her Circle sister. "Show them."

With a gesture, Kansa took off the disguise spell, and her true appearance was revealed. She waited for someone to attack her, but it did not happen. They were appraising her, she realized.

"You're a Drow," Lucy finally said.

"Drow? What's that?" asked Mari, puzzled.

"I'm a type of elf," Kansa said, reluctantly, "With the worst reputation of all elves. It used to be deserved, too."

"I remember from the History of the Magical Universe class that all Drow were killed hundreds of years ago. I guess that is wrong," said Flora.

The princess looked at the Guardian Fairy. "I've never heard of this. Why were they killed?"

"The Drow of the time started a war, and committed atrocities against conquered people," supplied Lucy, "So a kill on sight order was issued for every living Drow. We studied what they did at Cloud Tower."

The Witch turned her attention to the Drow. "I don't like what your people did to the conquered, but I do admire the way they took what they wanted! Very Witch-like!"

"But we're different now," Kansa interjected, a note of desperation in her voice. "We don't want war, and we've worked hard to change our culture. Drow are peaceful now."

"But they are still in danger of extinction," said Mirta. She put a hand on Kansa's shoulder to calm her. "They have to hide because the order is still in effect. I want to help her and her people."

"All now-living Drow were born on Ektar," said Kansa, "But the order is in effect there too, and it is a constant danger to us."

"I see," said Krystal. "Your people need a safe refuge."

"I could never ask that of you, Princess," said Kansa, turning away.

"You don't have to ask," smiled Krystal, "I cannot stand by and leave an entire people in danger of extinction if it is in my power to prevent it."

"But…"

"Linphea is big world, and a group could lose themselves in the forests. Can you promise me that your people will live in harmony with Nature and the locals?" Krystal asked.

Kansa was silent for a long minute. "Highness, we do live in harmony with nature on Ektar; it's one of the ways our culture has changed.

I can only speak for myself, but my answer is yes. I want to live here." She glanced at Mirta. "I have a Circle sister here, and a promise of a career…"

She looked at Flora, "Unless that is no longer valid."

Flora went to Kansa and took her hand. "Of course it's still good, Sweetie! I don't care what your race is. You've lots to offer this world, and have done so much already!"

Kansa tried to hold back a tear, but failed.

Mirta gave her a hug. "I told you so," she whispered.

Just then the phone beeped, and a holographic image of Ms. Faragonda appeared.

"Hello, Flora!" she said, "I wanted to get an update from you." Then she took in the rest of the ones present. "Princess Krystal, nice to see you! Mirta and Lucy… Mari… Oh, Kansa! You've revealed yourself?"

The elf-girl stepped closer. "Ms. Faragonda, you- you knew?"

The white-haired teacher smiled. "Of course I knew, dear. No student attends Alfea whose true nature is hidden from me." She glanced at Flora. "Not since Bloom, anyway."

Flora had the grace to turn red in the face, remembering how Stella got Bloom in under false pretenses.

"And yet you still let me in?" Kansa was incredulous.

Faragonda laughed merrily. "Kansa, dear girl, regardless of your race, you're a Fairy! And that means you are a good person!"

She grew serious. "I know about the war, of course. The Company of Light did not participate but we did keep tabs on it. I also know about the kill on sight order and the reasons for it. When we heard, we tried to get it rescinded, but the horrors were too fresh, and we failed.

Like everyone else I thought your race was extinct. You can't imagine how surprised I was when you arrived and I saw you were a Drow! I kept your secret, but I also did some investigating and saw how your people have changed for the better."

Kansa could only gape at her headmistress.

Krystal stepped forward. "I am very glad to hear that," she said. "I have just found out about this, and we were discussing giving them refuge here on Linphea, if they want it."

"That would be a perfect solution! Alfea will support you, and give aid in any way we can," said Faragonda.

"Thank you! Let us discuss this in more detail later," said the princess. "And Kansa, your input will be vital, so I want you to stick with me for the time being."

"Of… of course, highness…" she was overwhelmed with the sudden changes in her life. It seemed that her people had unexpected friends. And just maybe a future.

They brought Ms. Faragonda up to speed on developments, and she had high praise for her students, present and former. Kansa's leave from school was extended indefinitely, for as long as needed.

WC/WC/WC

Some days later the Drow Elder Council agreed to meet with Princess Krystal and Kansa. The Council was interested in Krystal's proposal, but wanted to discuss specifics first.

They would be leaving the next day by space ship and Ms. Faragonda would meet them there.

When asked why she was going herself, Faragonda said it was a chance to get out of the office and do some good, as is a Fairy's duty.

Some hours before they left, Mirta took Kansa to her office and closed the door.

"Negatus!" cried the half-Witch, and the enslavement spell was canceled.

Kansa dropped her disguise spell, and strode up to Mirta, glowering. The blood red eyes made Mirta nervous, and Kansa was only inches from her.

"I await my punishment," she gulped, hoping Kansa wouldn't hurt her too badly. She had told Flora about it, but her sister was confident nothing really bad would happen.

"Don't you EVER do that to me again!" Kansa growled, then reached out and smacked Mirta hard on the arm.

"OW!"

The Drow grabbed her Circle sister and hugged her tightly. "And thank you."

Mirta returned the hug, smiling even though her arm hurt. "Looking forward to going on a royal mission?"

"You bet! And it's all thanks to you," said Kansa, "I'm really glad I didn't kill you."

"That makes two of us!" said the half-Witch, opening the door, and together they stepped out into a bright future.

The End


End file.
